Michigan head coach John Beilein talks to Trey Burke (3) during the second half of their NCAA college basketball game against Illinois, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in Champaign, Ill. Michigan won 74-60. (AP Photo/John Dixon)— AP

Michigan head coach John Beilein talks to Trey Burke (3) during the second half of their NCAA college basketball game against Illinois, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in Champaign, Ill. Michigan won 74-60. (AP Photo/John Dixon)
/ AP

Illinois' Tyler Griffey (42) grabs a loose ball and goes back to the basket as Michigan's Mitch McGary (4) tries to recover during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/John Dixon)— AP

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. 
First-year Illinois coach John Groce's last meeting with Michigan was last March, when his Ohio Bobcats left the floor with an NCAA Tournament upset that cemented his status as an up-and coming coach and sent the Wolverines home.

On Sunday, after a 74-60 loss that left the Illini with just three wins in their last eight games, all Groce could do was grin a little as he shook Wolverine coach John Beilein's hand and state what's he said has become obvious about his cold-shooting team.

"You've got to throw a couple in," Groce said after his team shot 37.1 percent in spite of what he called solid shot selection. "We're all in here diagnosing this and that, looking at stat sheets."

The Illini (15-6, 2-5 Big Ten) have been doomed mostly by cold shooting over that eight-game slump, stretching back to mid-December and a 12-0 start that's now a distant memory.

For the No. 2 Wolverines (19-1, 6-1), the win means the chance to move up to No. 1 when the AP poll comes out Monday after Duke left the door open with a lopsided loss earlier in the week to Miami. It would be Michigan's first top ranking since the 1992-93 season, but Beilein said that, if it happens, it won't mean much.

"You compete for a Big Ten championship, then you go on you compete for a national championship," he said. "That's the number one you want down the line."

While Michigan is talking Big Ten titles, Illinois is now trying to just fight its way back into the middle of the pack. And the road back isn't easy - Illinois; next four games are at No. 13 Michigan State, at home against Wisconsin and No. 7 Indiana and at No. 12 Minnesota.

"Our guys like challenges," Groce said. "We've got some challenges coming up in our league every night."

The challenge Sunday appeared to get just a little easier when starting forward Jordan Morgan limped off the court with a badly sprained right ankle less than two minutes into the game. But Michigan barely missed him.

"Coach calls him the minister of defense," Trey Burke said, crediting the Mitch McGary, John Horford and Max Bielfeldt, the three big men who picked up the slack.

"I say this every game," Burke added, "but it just starts with defense. I think that started in the first half."

Beilein said he didn't yet know the severity of Morgan's sprained right ankle but said he couldn't have returned to the game even if baldy needed.

Brandon Paul led Illinois with 15 points but had five of the Illini's 15 costly turnovers.

"It's guys trying to make plays," D.J. Richardson, who finished with 12 points and had two turnovers, said about Illinois coughing up the ball. "We can't always hit the home run. We gotta count on other guys to make plays as well. Some plays are kind of forced."